


vax doesn't walk away

by calebwidogast



Series: perc'ildan drabbles [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, bit of a canon divergence but not extreme, no spoilers past the episode passed through fire, obvs crit role spoilers, vax just decides to stay behind from the pub trip, vex appears very briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 19:05:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11973771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calebwidogast/pseuds/calebwidogast
Summary: right after the events of cloak and dagger, vax makes sure percy knows that they're good again





	vax doesn't walk away

vax found himself breathing a sigh of relief as he watched percy take a breath, successfully resurrected. as a weight left his shoulders, he sighed, "hey, handsome." and ran a quick hand through percy's hair, casting lay on hands.

the rest of the morning seemed like a blur- getting back to castle whitestone, discussing plans and eating a quick meal, sending percy off to bed. as the rest of the party readied themselves to find a good place to drink, vax decided he would opt out.

"you guys go on. i'm sure you'll tell me about whatever you destroy when you get back, it's fine."

vex gave him a very knowing look, but didn't argue. soon, the party was on their way, and vax was finding his way to percival's room.

every resurrection was horrifying to vax. the fact that they constantly came so close to losing one another was stress beyond measure, and seeing one of his family fallen only made it worse. knowing there was a chance that they could lose the person forever never failed to strike him to his core.

after every time someone had been revived, vax stuck close to them for a while. the fact that he had nearly lost them made it even more necessary for him to spend time with them. he was sure they noticed, and hoped they knew what it meant.

so vax found percival's room, the door closed, and hesitated a moment before knocking. he waited a few moments, then pressed his ear to the door and heard snoring. carefully cracking the door, vax made his way in and shut it behind him.

percy still looked like a mess. he was facedown, still wearing his dead person clothes, his face smushed into the blankets at the end of his bed. it was so not-percy-like that it was a little jarring.

vax let out a tense little sigh, and stood across the room, in front of the cluttered desk. he whispered out loud, "i know i said it already, but i owe you a real apology. i forgave you ages ago."

a little awkwardly, vax climbed onto the bed where percy's head would normally be resting. he positioned himself sitting up against the wall, his legs bent over percy's and his feet resting right on the edge of the bed. "i'm glad you're back."

if there was any pause in percy's snoring, vax didn't hear it. eventually, even though he'd slept recently, he managed to doze off, avoiding the anxieties tugging at him.

vax opened his eyes, half asleep, at some point later. he'd heard the door. his eyes snapped up to the doorway and he saw vex creeping in. she grinned crookedly at him and held up an envelope in her hand. shaking it, she mouthed, "percy's. later, okay?"

vax nodded and watched as his sister crept forward and carefully tucked the envelope back into the coat percy was still wearing. they both froze when his snoring halted. after a few beats of silence it resumed, though, and vax relaxed back against the wall.

vex leaned toward him and patted his shoulder. she whispered, "love you."

vax smiled sleepily back at her and nodded. "you too."

vex turned, and vax closed his eyes again. he was out before she had opened the door.

the next time vax woke, his back was quite sore. he opened his eyes and found that percy was awake- sitting up on the end of his bed, a book open in his lap. when vax pulled his legs closer to himself, percy looked up and gave him a tired half smile.

"you're definitely the weirdest of the group." percy decided out loud. his glasses were on, but had slipped to the end of his nose. he looked over them at vax.

"i came to apologize." vax said. he might as well cut right to it.

percy blinked at him. he opened his mouth and then closed it, as if unsure of whether vax was done.

"i should have made it clear that i forgave you earlier. i know we talked about this after the feywild, but i still... you had your reasons to be upset with me, too, and you weren't. you make some very ill-advised decisions sometimes, but i can see you trying." vax said, looking just beyond percy to his desk. there were at least three open books full of sketches and notes.

"i am trying." percy agreed, taking his time before speaking. "we obviously handle things a little differently. i know we were still friends. i believed it when you told me you forgave me. we're alright now, aren't we?"

vax's turn to hesitate. "i didn't want you to die thinking i hated you." he brought one hand to his ponytail, busying his hand untangling his hair.

"i didn't think that, and i still don't. you were upset and you had reason to be." percy said. there was an unspoken 'i knew you just needed to walk away awhile,' in the look percy gave him. it was a similar look to the one he felt digging into his back every time he  _ did  _ walk away from a situation he didn't know how to handle.

vax was already feeling like he needed to walk out, but it was fighting his wish to stay with his recently-dead friend. instead of saying anything, he just nodded.

"obviously we could have both talked it out a bit better. but we didn't and we're here now." he stuck the bookmark he'd been twirling in his hand into the book and closed it. "i think i said it before, but i'll say it a second time just to be clear about it. i'd like to be your friend again."

vax knew that. he remembered percy saying it the first time. "sorry about the..." he gestured to himself, then the door. "surprise visit."

percy shrugged. "i halfway expected it. you're not too subtle when you're worried."

vax smiled in spite of himself. "you're all my family. of course i'm going to be worried when something happens."

"and i suppose you're going to be sticking around until breakfast." percy said, standing and walking over to his desk. "werewolves, or architecture?" he picked up two of the books that were nearly pushed off the edge.

"definitely werewolves. i'm not quite as nerdy as you." vax said. percy threw him the book and then sat back down, closer to vax this time. "aren't you going to at least change out of your death clothes?"

"everything still hurts. i think i've earned an hour more of a dirty shirt." percy said.

"...fair." vax decided, opening up the book his friend had leant him. "glad you're back."

"glad to be back."


End file.
